COLUMBIA - In January, when Texas transfer Jordan Barnett announced he was coming to Missouri, Tigers coach Kim Anderson was asked if he was concerned about the fact Missouri didn't then have a scholarship to offer Barnett for the 2016-17 season.
"It'll work out," Anderson said. "Trust me."
Two months later, having too few scholarships is the least of Missouri's concerns. The Tigers have since lost junior Wes Clark to dismissal and sophomores D'Angelo Allen, Namon Wright and Tramaine Isabell to transfer.
With three scholarships for the taking next season, Anderson doesn't need to find room. He needs to find players.
"If it was a perfect world," Anderson said, "you'd want to add a point guard or a combo guard and maybe a guy who could score and then maybe another big guy - if the perfect world comes up. Now, whether that will happen or not, I don't know.
"I'm encouraged by who we're involved with. I'm encouraged by some of the young men who have committed to come visit. I think the one thing that we can really sell to them is an opportunity to come in and contribute immediately, and hopefully we'll be able to sign some guys that will help us win next year."
It remains to be seen whether Missouri will use all three of those scholarships. The Tigers have to forfeit one scholarship in either the 2016-17 or "17-18 season because of self-imposed sanctions for NCAA violations.
"At this point, I can't tell you whether we'll use all three or whether we'll use two," Anderson said. "I anticipate using at least two."
Anderson said he's open to looking at players from either high school, prep school or junior college as well as recruiting internationally.
"We're kind of "best available,'" he said of Missouri's approach.
The Tigers' roster currently consists of seven scholarship players, with three high school seniors committed to join. Missouri's most pressing need is at point guard, where freshman Terrence Phillips will be the only scholarship player returning.
Since Isabell, a point guard, announced his transfer last week, freshman Cullen VanLeer has transitioned from shooting guard/small forward into a makeshift point guard.
"The few times we've been playing pickup, I've been matching up with Terrence," VanLeer said. "So I've been playing point guard, and I'm not really (uncomfortable) with it. I played it all in high school, so it really doesn't bother me. It's just a matter of getting the confidence to where I can play against major D-I conference players."
Luckily for Phillips, he got plenty of experience at the point as a regular starter in 2015-16.
"I'm extremely happy to have that ability to really start this year," Phillips said. "Because it'd be hard if I had to come off the bench and then come start in a role I wasn't prepared for (next season). But I've been there before."
Still, he's going to need some help. So what kind of players does he want to fill those scholarships?
"Really, just guys that want to compete," Phillips said. "Guys that want to play. It's not about me. It's not about my assist numbers. I don't care if I have zero assists and Cullen has 12 assists or whatever and we win. ... I just want guys that are going to compete every day like our life is on the line."
And what about the newcomer? Who would Barnett like to see Missouri to bring in?
"Let's see, we have some bigs coming in, so I don't know," he said. "I mean, honestly, I don't really care. I think we're pretty good with guards, in-betweeners and we'll be good with bigs coming in. I mean, honestly I could care less who it goes to."
Not even a second point guard?
"OK," he said. "Maybe another point guard."